The Vancouver Canucks are going to open the season at home against a tired Calgary Flames team. Not saying it's a "must win", but other teams' travel is one of the few advantages being coastally-based gives. So they better.
But in among the expectations for the coming season, something is always going to surprise. What is it that will make fans and players alike blink twice at the stats pages by the time all the hardware is handed out? I pestered a couple of my bitter rivals coworkers for answers.
Yeah, I'm gaming it because I'm the one writing it up. I'll put them in what I think is least to most shocking if it happens. We're not going to bother with the impossible - "Fans convince the Aquilinis to sell!" - but any of these would be a surprise.
Did I mention I cheated? Because I asked his opinion last week, well before the mini-clinic Braeden Cootes and Jonathan Lekkerimäki put on against Edmonton. The kids showed they belonged, even if one's 18 years old, and even if it's briefly.
The magic of ten games is that's when his entry level contract burns a year, so is looked on as a hard line for NHL teams. I don't know how important that is anymore, though. A bigger line to me is when he's no longer considered a rookie going into next year, a 25-game limit.
The other barrier to his being sent down is that he can't go to the AHL, but would have to return to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL. That's a huge jump, so even if it's close the Canucks might be reluctant to send him back. It's worth talking about.
Off the deep end quick, then. This season is going to be an interesting watch for a lot of reasons, not least of which is whatever system rookie coach Adam Foote puts in place. He consulted - a LOT - with his players over the Summer, and that had to include asking them what they wanted to see.
It looks like they're pressing for offence, led by the blue line. Not a bad decision, given where the talent lies, but it's risky. Demko and Lankinen are good at breakaways, but there's only so many a team wants to give up. If it doesn't work quickly, Foote might change his mind back to a tight, controlled game.
For the record, Vancouver had no wins with a 5-goal gap last year.
This one's going to be really tough. It means either the second wild card was handed a gimmie at around 90 points compared to Vancouver's 100-ish, or that the Canucks finished the year with 105+. Not impossible, but the weaker teams in the West have stocked up a bit, and we probably won't see the level of underperformance that we did last season.
The obvious choice here is Elias Pettersson returning to form. No one else on the team is really "that kind of guy" to suddenly produce at a triple-digit pace. If Foote's system works as intended, then more players will have a chance at more points, but that'll be spread out.
If Pettersson makes it to 100 points, then everything is going perfectly. Things can still go just fine and he'll finish the year at 80-85 instead, and that's far more likely.
Okay, this is more in the "boy, I hope not" category than the "what a shock" one. It's a condensed schedule with an Olympic break, and we all know what Thatcher Demko's injury history is. If he's playing this much, it means Lankinen has been injured, Nikita Tolopilo tanked, and the race is close in February. Oof.
I'm going way out of the box with this one, but mostly because I want more people to notice Kirill Kudryavtsev. He is... disturbingly stable out there, and not just on his skates.
Have you ever heard of the 2003 movie The Cooler? William H. Macy plays a guy who is employed by a casino because whenever he's at a table, whoever else is there has a streak of bad luck. He doesn't win, but that's not why he gets a salary. He makes sure other people lose.
That's Kudryavtsev. When he's on the ice, nothing happens. Shots for, shots against, chances anywhere just dry up. It's kind of hilarious, but also a really underrated skill, especially for a sub-six-footer.
Now, for him to come to Vancouver, a lot of dominos would have to fall. With Jett Woo and Guillaume Brisebois both out long-term, Abbotsford need a stable top pair. That's probably going to be Tom Willander and recently-recalled Victor Mancini.
For Kudryavtsev to get the call, they have to need a stable player, not the swashbuckling style of those two. I'm anticipating a trade from Vancouver's blue line fairly early in the year, moving him up in the depth chart. And once he's here, I think the coaching staff will want him to stay.
So, what do you think? Too wild? Not wild enough? Let us know!
All the Nucks cuts, trims and personal choices have been made for us.
Here's the starting roster according to reliable (or not) public sources:
Forwards (14):
Pettersson, Boeser, DeBrusk, Chytil, Kane, Garland, Blueger, O'Connor, Sherwood, Cootes, Lekkerimäki, Bains, Karlsson, Räty
Defence (7):
Hughes, Hronek, M. Pettersson, Myers, Forbort, E. Pettersson, Mancini
Goaltenders (2):
Demko, Lankinen
Faeries (2):
Hoglander, Joseph
Pretty good starting roster... but now the questions begin. Kent and Thursday provide sane(ish), sober(ish) analysis, Westy and jimmi will provide the other kinds.
Who should be on PP1?
Kent - I think this is pretty simple. Run a first unit with EP40, Boeser, Kane, Garland and Hughes. Second unit can roll DeBrusk, Chytil, Sherwood, Lekkerimaki and Hronek. I'd like to see Garland on that first unit because he has literally been the hardest-working Canuck the past two seasons, and his ability on the boards and with the puck can cause chaos that frees those other three forwards up.
Jimmi - Prefer the top 7 Nucks... but the NHL will whine like little babies about our new over-over-manned unit. Therefore, gotta go with Huggie, Lekky, Petey, Bessie and DeBriskie. Kane can take us off the PP on the 2nd unit.
Westy - I hope to see Lekky out there, shooting one-timers, just so Petey gets more space to go shoot one-timers. The man in the front better be ready to take a few shots. I think DeBrusk has better hands, but Kane might be able to take more abuse.
Thursday - I'll need to be convinced that Kane can do anything that needs creativity, but if he can hold the front of the net, I'm good with him being there. Otherwise, the QB has got to be Hughes, with Boeser, Pettersson, and probably DeBrusk down low. He has a weirdly effective shot when he's standing on the red line.
How effective will the mighty Nucks PK be this season?
Kent - I think it's going to continue to be solid. They've got some really effective PK guys, and are a threat to pop some shorties. They definitely need to work on staying out of the box as much as possible, but it's far from an automatic goal if they have to kill one off.
Jimmi - Very effective. Haven't allowed a single goal yet - in the regular season. They looked pretty good in the pre, just need to pre-empt the issue by only taking penalties against opponents with a pathetic PP.
Westy - First of all, stop taking penalties so we don't need a PK. (You hear me Tyler!) Secondly, it will interesting to see if the PK is agressive or sit back and clear shots. I am sure they will have their "running around chasing shadows" moments. Top 10 would be nice.
Thursday - The PK could be a really fun watch this year. Last season, Garland got to be a regular and did really well. I think he's going to go hunting for goals, just because it will annoy their opponents no end. Curious to see if Boeser gets the PK time he's asking for.
Do you trust Myers....even at $3 million?
Kent - I think we saw signs of Myers being used more effectively last season than his entire tenure in Vancouver. Adam Foote knows what this guy can and cannot do, and if they can pair him up with a solid partner in limited minutes, he'll provide value even at that price.
Jimmi - Yes, but more trusty if he's on the 3rd pair... maybe later.
Westy - I trust the penalty box will be his 2nd home this year....again.
Thursday - He's got a regular "stay-home" partner in Pettersson (no, the other one), and I think Foote will ask him to use his speed more to push the puck up. He'll probably be successful more frequently than not, but I don't know if that means enough to keep the experiment going. Let's say I trust Pettersson to minimize the damage done when it doesn't work.
What are the expectations for Kane?
Kent - I don't know, man. I'm still not even happy with him being here, if I'm honest. How many chances should a guy get, right? I think Jimmi's got the right idea. If Kane can stay healthy and out of the off-ice garbage, he could be either a nice piece of trade bait or... well, I will finish that thought on the next question.
Jimmi - Low to medium low. Expect we'll enjoy watching him take us off the PP. Hence the 2nd unit usage. Maybe he'll stick up for his teammates and get some extra time in Myer's summer cottage. On the medium side, maybe he plays well on the boards and scores enough goals by March to be good trade bait.
Westy - Wouldn't it be nice if he scored 20 goals before the deadline and then have to have a real discussion about his worth. He definitely shouldn't be signed to a new contract by GMPA.
Thursday - He usually does well in a contract year, and he managed to keep his off-ice drama to zero after his move to Edmonton. Getting 20 goals and 50 points with some abrasiveness would do me fine.
Is Cootes here to stay or is this just a 9-game trial?
Kent - Unless he is doing something ridiculous like putting up a point a game, and being an absolute difference maker, this will be 9 games. I am high on him, I think he's gonna end up being an absolute steal of a pick, but I think long term going back to junior for one more year is what's best for him and the team.
Jimmi - Game number 9 or number 96 will tell us all. But we can't wait that long. Besides, he's pre-destined to return to the dub and become a monster point-scoring monster.
Westy - I think it depends on Hogs....oh wait. Think about this, an 18 year old made this team. Playoffs might be hard to get to.
Thursday - I don't care much about the season-burning at ten games, so long as he's earned them. I could see him playing every two of three, then time to practice and reflect on the lessons. I want him to be in the World Juniors, though. I can see the argument either way - do everything for his WHL team, or have NHL opponents and training? I'd love it if he earned his keep with Vancouver, but I'll guess 20 games.
Why will this team miss the playoffs?
Kent - Yeah. You know what? Fuck it. I am tired of all the negative stuff in the world right now, so I am gonna believe in this team. Is it going to be insanely difficult for them? Yes. But this is a team that has some talent, and if they can stay healthy, that is half the battle right there. Injuries and a lot of off-ice bullshit really impacted this team last year. Healthy, return to normal seasons for Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko and for some of last year's impact players to build on what they did last time around, in the division they play in could see the Canucks get in, and if you can just get there, crazy shit can happen.
Jimmi - Why oh why? Could it be that BC Faeries can't get cheap hooch anymore at BCLQ shops and take out their unwelcome soberness on our new winning roster. Or our new winning roster still isn't winning enough and there's only one reason left: No practice facility.
But wait! Kent is onto something. Something strange, yet appealing... wish I could remember the word for it... let's back Kent for backing the impossible!
Westy - #1 - Because Vancouver and the hockey gods are trying to push Quinn out.
#2 - Special teams won't be able to make up for this mediocre 5 vs 5 team.
Thursday - The usual reasons, which would be a little odd. Just the team not executing as they should. Not personal drama, not hundreds of games lost to injuries, not a failure to communicate between coaches and players. Just plain old not being good enough.
IF... big IF, if the Nucks miss the playoffs, who will be the next GM? President? Owner?
Kent - You have to think that both the GM and President's jobs are on the line. I have given up waiting for a change in ownership. It's not gonna happen in my lifetime.
Jimmi - Franny will finally come out of the micro-managing boardroom closet and go full macro-managing billionaire President and General Manager of His Vancouver Canucks. Franchise to be moved later to some winery, so Franny can multi-task within limo distance.
Westy - The Sedins will fully take over the team and co-run it all. The team colours will change to the blue, gold and white of Sweden.
Thursday - The Aquabats have a hard time moving on from their decisions. I expect an announcement about how much ownership supports management, followed by a total housecleaning four games into the 2026-27 season and the hiring of Kyle Dubas for every position. They will immediately be fined One McDavid ($12.5 million) for tampering.
How will the Nucks win the division?
Kent - The Oilers lose Draisaitl and McDavid to injury, Vegas underperforms, and the Canucks have the healthiest season in their 55+ miserable years of existence. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Jimmi - By claiming more than 1 loser point in every freakin' OT, by winning more games in regulation than any other team in the Pacific. Simple. Why didn't they think of this before?
Westy - Vegas implodes and McDavid/Draisatl both get hurt....and Petey gets 100+ points, with Demko getting 10 shutouts. So there's a chance.
Thursday - Slowly. Lots of one- and two-goal wins, no drop-off from Demko to Lankinen, and two defencemen sitting top-six in team scoring.
SIGNING BONUS ROUND:
Besides Kane, which player would be the one traded in March if the Canucks suck.... besides Demko
Kent - I think Chytl and Sherwood would be definite trade bait. I'm not thinking about any other scenarios.
Jimmi - Willander? Myers? (so Westy can nap better) Not Quinn?! They wouldn't dare... would they?
Westy - Demko...wait....I can't say Brock anymore, especially with that contract. So, the dependable 2nd round pick will be traded in March.
Thursday - It's hard to see the team blowing it so badly that they decide to sell pieces, BUT Höglander's the obvious choice that can bring some kind of return. Forbort is a classic "guy team heading into the playoffs wants" for a contender. There's a lot of trade protection to dodge otherwise.
How much will Luke regret signing a cheap long-term deal in Jersey?
Kent - Yes. He could have played it out and come to Vancouver. He'll be sorry.
Jimmi - Like t----h----i----s much. Maybe more.
Westy - I wish I had a cheap contract like Luke. Jimmi.....can I have a cheap contract like Luke.
No. Your current contract is cheap enough. Can't put a price on free.
jimmi
Thursday - At least he'll be close to his favourite hospital. Do they have Frequent Flyer miles?
How much will Huggie want to sign a cheap long-term deal in Jersey?
Kent - Not gonna be cheap. This is the season that convinces him to stay. So shut up about fuckin' New Jersey already.
Jimmi - Not too much. So, that's good. A short term pricey deal in [redacted] to align with Jack's contract. That's not so good.
Westy - I think a cheap Huggy is $15 million/yr.....The Devils would have to make a deal with themselves to be able to cover that.
Thursday - Let's see: on his off days, Hughes can walk around Stanley Park in the rain. Or he can walk around Newark in the sleet.
Last season, the Pacific Division only sent three teams into the playoffs, with five going to the Central. It was a close, with the Calgary Flames tying the St. Louis Blues. The Blues went on their wildly improbable run and beat the Flames by the narrowest of margins. The Minnesota Wild finished only one point higher.
It's not just that the Vancouver Canucks ended the season six points back. Three teams were all ahead by that six or seven - and the Utah Mammoths were only one back of Vancouver themselves. It seems unlikely that the Canucks will make any major moves between now and the start of the year. If they want to make the playoffs, the only guarantee is getting into the top three of the Pacific. Can they?
Starting at the top:
Mitch Marner brings a lot of firepower with him. The sign-and-trade gave Vegas the opportunity to lock him up for eight years, but cost them a very good centre in Nicholas Roy. "Very good" is a relative term, of course. Roy is a bottom-six centre, and moving him to Toronto means Alex Pietrangelo's $8.8 million can go onto the long-term injured reserve list and make the team salary cap compliant.
Roy wasn't the only player the Golden Knights lost, moving out long-time defender Nicolas Hague in exchange for Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon. Hague had dropped to the third pair last year, and replacing him with the $3 million cheaper Lauzon doesn't hurt much. Hague is better offensively, but that's not what they're missing. Sissons replacing Roy is a much steeper drop.
Adin Hill being backed up by Akira Schmid is a perfectly decent pairing. And that's the weak point. The forwards are extremely dangerous, and their play style gives their goaltenders plenty of support. This is not going to be an easy team to catch.
The Kings have apparently decided that if they reached 105 points last year, they don't need to change anything this year. Someone should have introduced them to the 2023-24 Canucks.
Not entirely true, perhaps, but signing Corey Perry and Joel Armia isn't scaring anyone. For the most part, it looks like they are hoping for continued growth from Quinten Byfield and Alex Laferriere. It's not an outrageous gamble, but sooner or later Anže Kopitar is going to actually age. We just don't know when, but I suspect someone will find a painting in his attic one day.
The Kings spread their ice time pretty evenly among their top three lines, which limits their top-end talent. On the other hand, the opposing coach needs to decide who to try to stop. There are rumours of some players not liking the team's playing style, especially after their third straight first-round exit. But if they win, those complaints will vanish.
That style - pulling the forwards back to support their defence - is used for a reason. How bad is their defence? They lost Vladimir Gavrikov, their top defenceman, and traded away Jordan Spence. They filled those spots with... Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin? Oof.
If Drew Doughty is healthy all year, 22-year-old Brandt Clarke leaps forward, and Michael Anderson and Joel Edmundson tighten up their games, and Dumoulin and Cecei aren't forced into second-pair roles, they can be decent. Putting question marks on all six of your starting defencemen isn't a great sign.
Darcy Kuemper was excellent last season, though again behind Jim Hiller's defence-first style. Veteran Anton Forsberg is a new face backing him up, and having Pheonix Copely and Erik Portillo in reserve is good enough to work.
Very good forwards, good goaltending, and a lot of hope in between.
Not a lot changed here, either. And why should it? The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final two years running. That's worth a lot. The biggest issue with a team like Edmonton is that it is very top-heavy. Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are not going to be underpaid, which means a limited amount of money left over for everyone else.
That shows in their ice time. Four forwards averaged 19 minutes or more, and no others passed the 15-minute mark. Victor Arvidsson left, and Andrew Mangiapane is coming in. Mangiapane is fine, but is he the solution for a reliable finisher to go with Draisaitl? Because it sure ain't Curtis Lazar.
The forwards are pretty much a known factor. McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman are going to do their thing. Beyond them, the most important player on the ice might be Mattias Ekholm. Evan Bouchard needs the stable Ekholm beside him as a safeguard. Bouchard is a very good offensive defenceman, but boy howdy, does he forget his job on defence.
That leaves very little for the goaltending. And it shows.
Now, I'm not going to jump on Stuart Skinner, here. He isn't as bad as his reputation suggests, but the Oilers' play style does him zero favours. He and Calvin Pickard are the likely pair going into the season, because they cost the team less than $4 million combined. There isn't much cap room to improve, so they did the next best thing and changed the goaltending coach.
If we're going to talk cheap goaltenders, Calgary has no goaltender making a million dollars. Dustin Wolf proved himself last season, coming second in Calder Trophy voting. Hard to tell how much of a risk it is to rely on him this season, but they certainly want a veteran. The Flames are sitting on $15 million in cap space right now, and they won't need that much to sign Connor Zary.
They could use some of that space on the defence. It's open speculation that Rasmus Andersson is getting moved at some point this year, and that's going to hurt. Frankly, the 19-year-old Zayne Parekh should probably be a coin flip to get 20 games this season.
Up front, getting Morgan Frost re-signed was needed, because there just isn't much else there. Jonathan Huberdeau getting some of his mojo back is nice, but Nazem Kadri as your top centre speaks volumes. They need Zary to step up to finish anywhere close to a playoff spot this season.
If anything, this is a team to watch out for. Perhaps their least surprising move was changing Greg Cronin for Joel Quinneville behind the bench. The team improved by 21 points between his first and second years, but there was also a rebellion in the ranks. Anaheim's been out of the playoffs for a long time now, and they need a push before fan interest vanishes.
They made some big moves, too. Stalwart John Gibson is gone from between the pipes, leaving the net to Lukáš Dostál. Behind him is probably Ville Husso, though Petr Mrázek will make his case. Who knows - maybe Edmonton will offer to take one of the two in some expressed wishful thinking.
Centre of the Future(tm) Trevor Zegras was also shipped out, bringing draft picks and Ryan Poeling back from Philadelphia. He was saying some of the right things under Cronin, but is an excellent example of a team not quite knowing how to treat a young star. Let him be free and feed his creativity? Put clamps on so he learns defence and structure to go with it? Neither team more player seemed to be having much fun.
Poeling has been finding some scoring touch with the Flyers, but he's not the player Zegras is. But maybe him, Chris Kreider, and Mikael Granlund can fill in the blanks. Sure, Kreider and Granlund are older, but they have plenty of youth coming around, too. Leo Carlson proved he's already at an NHL level, and if they can get Mason McTavish's name on paper, then their centre depth looks solid.
On defence, the name on everyone's lips was "Who?" As in "Who the hell is Jason LaCombe?" They brought in Jacob Trouba in case Radko Gudas got injured, and they need someone to buy the beer. That's going to be interesting to watch.
We want the day when both Seattle and Vancouver are good teams. We really do. But they aren't going to be the reason the Canucks miss the playoffs just yet.
Andre Burakovsky is out for cap space, which they still have. Frédérick Gaudreau is a nice pickup for cheap as a bottom-six centre. Ryan Lindgren is fine as a middle-pair defenceman. But most of this year isn't going to be about anyone brought in. Though getting Matt Murray in case Phillip Grubauer has another disastrous year isn't a bad net.
They want - need - their young forwards to all take another step. Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, and Kaapo Kakko are talented guys, as befits their relative draft positions. But one of them needs a real breakout year, and not just for now, but for the future. Otherwise, this is a team loaded with middle-six guys, middle-pair defence, and a 1B netminder in Joey Daccord.
Here's to hoping we can get a good hate on with our neighbours!
Last, but not... Well, probably not least. The San Jose Sharks finished nine points back of Chicago and sixteen back of Nashville. There is a strange juxtaposition here, though, highlighted by those cities. San Jose had fun. Yes, it was a terrible end result, but the fans were warned well beforehand, and the future was visible on the ice.
Two of their star kids led the team in scoring, but you could make an argument that their MVP was Tyler Toffoli. The Sharks did everything a "tanking" team should: lots of one-year deals, signing veterans to trade them, testing a LOT of their AHL players, and playing their youth. And in the middle of it all, Toffoli was out there with Macklin Celebrini and William Eklund and Will Smith, keeping the kids on an even keel.
They had a massive amount of turnover and are clearly aiming for at least one more year of entertaining, if not completely successful, hockey. I don't know if anyone in the league likes scoring more than Adam Gaudette. Jeff Skinner's career is on life support after FINALLY getting a taste of playoff hockey and deciding it was overrated. Ryan Reaves is, well, Ryan Reaves. Will Philip Kurashev help? Hey, why not?
The defence looks more interesting, too. Grabbing Nick Leddy off waivers is an easy decision when you can afford it - and these guys can afford a LOT. Dmitry Orlov is a serious pick-up, even at 34 years old. John Klingberg is looking to rebuild his value so he isn't best known as an agent's horror story for recalcitrant signings.
In net, five goaltenders got into eight or more games, and I don't blame them one bit. This year, stability should be the rule. Yaroslav Askarov is an excellent prospect, and getting backed up by/splitting time with Alex Nedeljkovic will give the Sharks a chance most nights.
Vancouver has more top-end talent than enough of these teams to make the playoffs. But the game requires more than talent. The Canucks can have one or two things go wrong and still make it, so long as those things going wrong aren't one of three players. So we're ending up with Schrödinger's Playoffs, either making it or not, and we won't know which until we look.
I suspect the team will add a player, specifically at centre, before the season is done, but probably not before it starts. They have a nice chunk of cap space right now, and they'll let that accrue until the trade deadline looms. Not at the deadline, of course, because this is still Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin. But maybe in late January.
As for the rest, Anaheim can take Calgary's spot, and Edmonton can take LA's. Heck, if it is a good year for the Canucks, they could well bump the Kings to fourth. But the top stays at the top and the bottom stays there. It's gonna be interesting.
Without mentioning the utter ludicrousness of Sportsnet's sudden jump in cost - The Hockey Guy does a fine job of that - we're going to pretend we have enough money to choose which Canucks games we'd watch live.
What are the big matches you'd shell out for? Which teams entice you to spend the time and money, home or away? Here are my picks.
There are a couple things to note in the upcoming season's schedule that aren't specific to individual games. The Olympics happening in February means a compressed schedule, and things can get a bit weird.
For Vancouver, the usual extended road trips are here, no surprise. Two five-game jaunts, taking eight and nine games, are joined by one with six games in ten. Expect a full 23-man roster and maybe an extra player to accompany them on each of those runs.
Where it gets weird is the TWO eight-game home stands. These aren't the blessings you might think. Players use the time away to have some team bonding time and just as a change from the distractions of home.
The first, happening in the second half of January, comes on the heels of that six-game roadie. The team will have exactly one day off before the Stanley Cup Runner-Up Oilers come to town. Then it's a game every two days until the Olympic break, including the final two on the road against Utah and Vegas. Sixteen games in 30 days is rough, home or abroad.
The second fills up March, and has three two-day breaks woven in, thankfully enough. But asking season ticket holders to show up that often is something of a challenge in itself. Even if the tickets are already paid for, that's asking for a lot of money and a lot of time. On the other hand, if you're a "secondary market" purchaser, this might be your year!
That's if things are going well. After January 16th, Vancouver has 22 home games and 13 road games. For those of us lacking basic math skills, that means before then are 19 home games and 28 on the road. For a team desperate for a quick start, they're in for a challenge.
Well, yeah. They opened last season against the Flames at home, and things didn't go all that great. Artūrs Šilovs was handed the starter's role but couldn't keep a 4-1 first-period lead safe. That 6-5 overtime loss really helped set the mood for the upcoming campaign. So, no pressure presumed starter Thatcher Demko. Assuming he's there this time.
Finally! The long-awaited Filip Chytil Revenge Game! Assuming he's not out with a concussion at that time, which is why he missed returning to Madison Square Garden last season. He'll be a month into the higher expectations of an increased role, and it's probably not a bad time to assess how he's handling it.
In other news, J.T. Miller (remember him?) will be coming to town for the first time since his trade. Predicting something similar to Bo Horvat's return, with plenty of applause during his video tribute, followed by loud booing whenever he touches the puck or a Canucks player. C'mon, it's J.T. Miller. He expects nothing less.
Otherwise known as the Connor Bedard Emotional Support Fans Night. The Blackhawks aren't looking a whole lot better than they have in his previous two seasons with them. Maybe they'll equal last year's nine-point jump, which would put them... eighth in the division again! Seriously, it's hard not to feel for the guy
San Jose finished in an even worse position than Chicago, but at least Macklin Celebrini seems to be having fun.
If anyone from either the Lightning or Panthers offers to show you "this new camp we just built" - IT'S NOT A PRACTICE FACILITY! DO NOT GO!
Rick Tocchet got a chance to coach his long-time team, and you can't blame him for taking it. Lord knows it's not like he abandoned Vancouver's chaos for the calm, still waters of Philly. The team's a mess, he's their fifth coach in six seasons, and they've missed the playoffs five years running. But he started and finished his career there, playing over 600 regular-season games with the Flyers.
Not a bad time to make him regret his decision. It'll be fun to see how his protégé, Adam Foote, runs the bench against him.
The start of the home stretch. I mentioned this as a dividing line for good reason. The first game home from a long roadie is always tough, and this isn't a weak team to do it against. The Oilers will be a good measuring stick as the Canucks dive into their first eight-game homestand.
These ten games before the Olympic break are going to be a brutal physical test. If they can stand up to it, management may be looking to buy. We all know that Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin like getting their work done early.
If Vancouver's going to make the playoffs, how they perform against the Californian teams will make all the difference. Utah's likely improvement makes the Central Division odds-on to push five teams into the playoffs. That leaves just three spots to fight for in the Pacific. None of Los Angeles, Anaheim, or San Jose is a favourite to take that spot, but that just makes it all the more important to harvest points from them when you can.
Anaheim's fans are getting restless, and for good reason. After missing the playoffs for seven straight seasons, they want to see the team show signs of life NOW. San Jose's six-season streak is similarly awful, but the fans there like that they got Celebrini. They don't want the team to try for Gavin McKenna, too.
As for the Kings, there's only so much Darcey Keumper can do behind that blue line. Unless they improve it dramatically, their very talented forwards may go into open revolt against Jim Hiller's "No one scores after we score once" tactics.
The Kings have made the playoffs in each of the last four years, but have also exited early every time. As the Canucks know full well, a discordant room could break that first streak.
Certain media personalities have taken it upon themselves to defend the 4:00 start time whenever the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town. "Oh, we can go to dinner afterwards!" "Oh, we can go out to the clubs afterwards!" "What's so bad about getting there at three?"
Some of us have to work for a living, GUYS, that's what's so bad about it. A bunch of us work for people who frown upon employees watching the game while drawing a paycheque. Or we want to end the evening at the hockey game, just like the games we see during the week. Sheesh.
With the trade of Dakota Joshua as a salary cap dump, there is certainly another move coming. When, exactly, who knows, but at least if an opportunity arises, Vancouver will have the means to take advantage. That probably means another active player getting traded away, at least if the team wants a second-line centre. Those don't come with a $3.25 million cap hit.
Maybe we'll add a Nils Höglander Revenge Game onto this list before puck drop in October.
It's probably not going to be an enjoyable day for Canucks fans (to be fair, is it ever?), but don't worry. We're here, and you can join us in laughing at all the other teams also screwing up their rosters.
Alright, a little bit of housekeeping before we get started. If you haven't already seen it, we've welcomed a new writer to our staff. Thursday's been a part of the readership of NM for a long time, and we're thrilled to have her come aboard and provide a fresh perspective to the coverage. Also, there's no possible way that she's as angry and bitter as the rest of us, so that's really nice for all of you. Good to have you on the team, Thursday. Sorry we swear so much. It's Francesco's fault.
Anyway, she broke down the Canucks draft experience, so if you haven't read it, please do. Overall, I think that was a decent job by JR & PA. I mean, we were expecting that 1st rounder to get traded away, so to get what looks like a solid prospect at 15 is good, as well as a goaltender that Ian Clark raves about with their second pick. If Clark likes him, there's something there, and that bodes well for the future.
So far, the Canucks have been re-upping some of the Abbotsford crew, including a number of key pieces from their Championship run. The most notable is a one year, one way deal for Max Sasson, with a $775k AAV. This is a chance for Sasson, who performed well during his call ups and was a rock throughout the playoffs for Abbotsford, to earn a multi year deal, and I'm here for it. Also re-signed were Aatu Raty, Arshdeep Bains, and Guillaume Brisebois.
The full NMC on Elias Pettersson's contract has kicked in, and we should hear the announcement of a new deal for Thatcher Demko as early as today, as well as the official announcement of Conor Garland's deal, but the stark reality of the Canucks losing the production of Brock Boeser and Pius Suter is a little sobering to say the least. For a team that struggled to score this past season, it's gonna take a hell of a day from Patrik Allvin to give Canucks fans hope heading forward.
There's also word that Arturs Silovs is being shopped around, and I get this. It's a valuable asset that could help bring in an improvement that we need, and while it would be awesome if there was room for him, the Canucks are likely to go with Demko and Kevin Lankinen, because it's trade Silovs, or trade one of those two, and I don't think they'd be eager to part with either.
The Vancouver Canucks tried to get a deal done, they really did. But in the end, it came down to value. A deal wasn't there, and they didn't force it. Frankly, it's a refreshing change from, well, whatever the hell went on before this management group showed up.
I am not a scout, so grain of salt when I talk about the prospects Vancouver drafted. Some I've seen through the screen, most of this is from reading folks who know more than I do.
This here is all about compiling information from others, both paid and freely available. Highlight reels are fun, but they aren't scouting reports.
Braeden Cootes is a 17-year-old captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds, a team that had difficulty scoring last year. Their 212 goals mark was better than just five teams, and none of them made the playoffs. They did let other teams know they were on the ice, being the only ones to break 1000 minutes in penalties. Fortunately, none of that particular responsibility fell on Cootes' shoulders.
He led the team in scoring in the regular season and in the playoffs, but at this point, that's neither here nor there. When he gets to Vancouver, he's going to be fun to watch for one reason: he forces opponents to stop him. If he's going to the net, then he's probably already dished off the puck and is there to wreak havoc.
Going by Thomas Drance's article in The Athletic, he's a pain in the ass to play shinny against, too. It's not just that he likes winning; he hates it when other teams do at his expense.
“When it comes to that, we didn’t make him captain,” La Forge said, “he made himself the captain of our team with the way he carries himself … He was the captain before we gave him the ‘C.’”
A few years ago, you may remember, the Canucks had themselves a wee conundrum: they ran out of goalies. No team should ever have to panic because Mike McKenna isn't available to them, but there they were in 2018-19. Since that day, Vancouver has made sure to have plenty of goaltenders in the stable.
Alexei Medvedev got a 50/50 split with senior goalie Austin Elliott on an excellent London Knights squad. He was a bit boom-or-bust, but that's not a surprise for a 17-year-old. Elliott's gone next season, so Medvedev will have every chance to play the bulk of games next year.
Tracks the puck well, loves challenging the shooter, likes to use his stick, sometimes anticipates a cross-ice pass early. Lots to like, but kinda want to see how he does on a worse team.
I know bupkis about prep school hockey, and Kieren Dervin only played 10 OHL regular season games to go with 11 playoff ones. According to the folks who watched him, he's a two-way forward with good positioning. He finds a way to support the play at either end, moving to where he's needed most for a pass or to disrupt play.
With many Kingston forwards aging out, he'll get plenty of opportunity to grow his offence next year.
Wilson Björck is fast, versatile, really light for a 19-year-old, and wasn't drafted last year. Was great in the Swedish U20 league, didn't leave much of an impression in the Allsvenskan. It'll be interesting to see what he does in the NCAA, but if he makes the NHL, maybe it'll be as a Nils Åman? Which is excellent for a 5th-round pick.
Anyone picked this late is usually "he does this one thing well, and we'll see" player. Gabe Chiarot is a defence-first winger who hates it when the other team has the puck. He initiates contact and has added some scoring to his game, but his calling card is forechecking.
Their last pick was Matthew Lansing from the USHL. The reviews on him are pretty wild, usually versions of "yes, he plays defence, but what else?" that change to "Oh, hey! Look at this guy!" The difference is he changed leagues, moving from the US national development team to Fargo in the US high school system. Increased opportunity let him show off his skating and puck-handling ability. Still a longshot, but...
A left-handed, 6'4" Russian centre who didn't want to play in Chicago? Sure, why not?
Can't really see the Canucks needing a lot of help in their bottom-six, but centres can be moved to wing more easily than the reverse. At a cost of "futures", taking a chance on a 2021 sixth-round pick seems simple enough. The team has a lot of contract space.
The Canucks kept their pick, and for the first time in over a decade, selected a WHL'er. Today should be where the excitement is, with the Canucks on the board for five more picks (at the moment)
I was about 75% certain that there was going to be some sort of deal, but in the end, the Canucks used their first round pick, and seem to have gotten a pretty solid choice at Number Fifteen. Braeden Cootes is a Centre from the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, and the scouting on him is that he's a smaller Bo Horvat type player. Absolutely tenacious forechecking, a solid compliment of offensive skills, and a complete two way game. The kind of player that goes full bore every shift. And a right hand shot, to boot!
He was the youngest captain in WHL last season, and also donned the 'C' for Team Canada at the World Under 18's, leading them to a gold medal, leading the team in scoring, and was the best faceoff man in the tournament.
The Canucks will pick at 47, 65, 143, 175, and 207. That Number 65 pick is the first pick of the third round, so pretty much like having two second round picks. What we need to watch for is deals. How many of these picks will get used, and who will the Canucks be moving to try and add pieces/fill gaps on a team that has to be better this season. I would suggest girding one's loins for Arturs Silovs, based on his stellar play this post season for Abbotsford, though the notion that the team could part with Thatcher Demko isn't unreasonable for the right price.
The phones are being worked, the data is being crunched, and good ideas are no doubt being vetoed. God, it's tiring being a Canucks fan. Well, let's get this over with.
The first round of the annual NHL entry draft is tonight in Los Angeles, and it's still unclear if the Canucks plan to move their 15th overall pick. With the possible departure of Brock Boeser looming, the Canucks could end up looking a lot different next season. We've seen Thatcher Demko, Arturs Silovs, and even Elias Pettersson being mentioned, and the Canucks rumored to be looking at Marco Rossi and Mat Barzal, this could be a very interesting few days. Please note, I said interesting, not joyful.
One thing that did happen today was an announcement from the league and the NHLPA of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
We'll need someone a little more savvy to dissect this, but if you think that the last line is going to stop the rampant juicing of the LTIR rules, you're kidding yourself. The Vegas Golden Knights are probably on the phone with Mark Stone right now, explaining how they're going to do it.
So while we wait to see what they'll do, let's say they do keep the pick. Who's going to be available that meets their needs? There's a couple nice options at C in the WHL in Victoria's Cole Reschny, and Brandon's Roger McQueen. Reschny was outstanding at the World Under 18's for Canada, and McQueen, while missing a large chunk of time this season, is 6'5" with a total skills package that could make him worth the risk if he's still available.
We'll have an additional thread for the rest of the draft tomorrow, and try and get you info on the Canucks picks, as well as any deals that go down.
History was made in Charlotte, NC last night, as the Abbotsford Canucks won the Calder Cup, a first for the Abbotsford franchise and the Canucks system.
ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS 3 CHARLOTTE CHECKERS 2 (Canucks win series 4-2)
Being a Canucks fan over the year has trained us all to expect disappointment. Last night, everything changed. Linus Karlsson, as he's done throughout this playoff run, came through with a massive goal late in the second, and the Canucks, thanks to some outstanding defensive play and another amazing performance from playoff MVP Arturs Silovs, held on for the 3-2 win.
There are so many incredible stories with this team, that all culminated in this moment. It starts with Abbotsford GM bringing in local boy and member of that 2011 Cup run, Manny Malhotra to head up the coaching staff. They added other BC born and raised pieces, assembling a team that didn't look like it would be capable of this at the start. On January 4th, they had more losses than regulation wins, but then something changed. Two long winning streaks, as the team, to a man, bought in to what Malhotra and his coaching staff were trying to implement.
That led to 5 series wins, and going 16-8 over that stretch. As evidenced by his winning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy for AHL playoff MVP, Arturs Silovs was an absolute beast in the post season. Five shutouts, a 2.01 GAA and .931 sv% was the driving force for this team. Silovs gave them a chance to win every night, and most importantly, he bounced back from losses, and the Canucks didn't lose two games in a row for the entire run.
And then there was the offense, led by the leading scorer of the playoffs, Linus Karlsson. His game winner was so fitting, giving him 14-12-26 in 24 playoff performances. Arshdeep Bains wasn't far behind, his play an absolute catalyst for the Canucks offense on this run. Bains had two assists last night to leave him with 7-17-24. While it was absolutely a team effort, the play of Sammy Blais, who was an absolute terror physically along with scoring some huge goals, Max Sasson, and Phil DiGiuseppe were also bringing their absolute best every night.
On defense, shot blocking and working hard to neutralize some of the most lethal scorers in the AHL was a task they handled well, as we saw guys like Jett Woo, Akito Hirose and Kirill Kudryavtsev step up big time. A great mix of seasoned vets at both the AHL and NHL level, along with a youth movement in the Canucks that is going to help make the parent club better down the road was what helped them to this amazing moment.
So, with that, we await the celebration to come in Abbotsford when the boys arrive home. It's a week until free agency starts, and there are a metric fuckton of questions facing the Canucks and how they're going to fix the disaster that was this past season. For now though, enjoy this. Let's hope it's a sample of what we've been dying to see, for so long now.
When the Utica Comets made the AHL Finals back in 2015, we could see that while it was good for the franchise, having the affiliate closer to home was vital to long term development and success. And in just four years, Ryan Johnson, Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin have done that. The support of the community for this team, as well as from Canucks fans across the province (and elsewhere!) have also been massive in helping this team grow into champions.
As for us, we're likely going to take a couple days off. With all of us dealing with various challenges at the moment, a little break is well deserved. So, on behalf of Jimmi, Westy and myself, thanks to all of you who still come round to see what we have to say. We love ya for it.
